This invention relates generally to fire suppression systems and environments which are protected against fire. More particularly, this invention relates to a protected odd-shaped environment, which may be an L-shaped room, employing a single nozzle arrangement for directing a fire-combatting chemical, such as HALON, to a plurality of preselected locations therewithin.
In conventional fire extinguisher systems of the type which are installed in buildings and other structures it is highly desirable that maximum protective coverage be achieved using minimum plumbing and number of nozzles. In addition to the expense associated with the pipe and nozzles, reduction in pipe length and number of nozzles facilitates system maintenance, as well as ensures adequate fluid pressure during system operation at remote or distal portions of the fire suppression system.
It is a characteristic of the operation of conventional fire extinguisher systems that environments having odd shapes, such as L-shaped spaces, require multiple nozzles to distribute a chemical fire-combatting fluid throughout the space, within the time periods and at the chemical concentrations required by applicable specifications, such as those established by Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc. The use of such multiple chemical nozzles, however, results in significantly increased cost, not only upon initial installation, but also in maintenance. There is, therefore, a need for a simple and economical fire suppression system which requires installation of but a single chemical discharge nozzle.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a simple and inexpensive arrangement for reducing the amount of plumbing needed in a fire extinguisher installation in an odd-shaped space.
It is another object of this invention to provide a simple odd-shaped environment which is reliably fire-protected using a single nozzle for delivering a chemical fire-combatting fluid into the space.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a simple arrangement which permits fire protection coverage to an L-shaped premises using a single nozzle which can be adjusted to cover the various portions of the premises having different dimensions.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a fire suppression arrangement which can easily be reconfigured for variations in the dimensions of the premises to be protected, and in which nozzle placement is not critical.
It is additionally an object of this invention to provide a nozzle arrangement which can distribute HALON fire suppression material in an L-shaped room using a single nozzle.